As west-coasters, we’re used to large tracts of protected land. Significant chunks of the western US are owned and managed by the federal government, either National Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management or National Park Service, or even more obscure federal agencies.
It’s different on the east coast where most of the land is privately held. But there’s still plenty of conservation – the difference is that land tends to be protected by private conservation organizations instead of the government. As we’ve sailed north along the east coast, we’ve hiked at spots owned and managed by the Trustees in Massachusetts, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and the Trust for Public Lands.
Great Wass Island is another example. While the northern portion of the island features private houses, the southern half is a Nature Conservancy preserve. A fantastic trail winds its way around the preserve and through four or five distinct ecological areas – dense bushes around the rocky shore, open forest with large, well-spaced firs, and bogs and wetlands, for example.
As big fans of public land, we’ve been happy to see so many opportunities for public outdoor recreation on the east coast.
